Background : It is known that Platycodon grandiflorum has anti-inflammatory activity and inhibits the production of nitric oxide (NO) in inflammatory macrophages. But the change of bioactivity of platycodon grandiflorum according to steaming is not well known. In this study, We investigated the effects of steaming on anti-inflammatory activity of 70% ethanol extracts of platycodon grandiflorum.
Methods and Result : The cytotoxicity of RAW264.7 cells treated with platycodon grandiflorum extracts was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and the concentration of NO in culture supernatants were determined using nitric oxide (NO) assay. And western blotting was performed to quantify the expression of iNOS, a protein related to NO production. As a results, it was confirmed that no cytotoxicity was observed at 25, 50 and 100 ㎍/㎖ platycodon grandiflorum extracts in RAW264.7 cells. The production of NO and the expression of iNOS were induced by LPS and suppressed by all platycodon grandiflorum extracts in proportion to the number of steaming in RAW264.7 cells.
Conclusion : These results suggest that a steaming process can increase anti-inflammatory activity of platycodon grandiflorum extracts.

• 김형돈(농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 인삼특작부) | Hyung Don Kim Corresponding author
• 이은영(농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 인삼특작부) | Eun Young Lee
• 김금숙(농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 인삼특작부) | Geum Soog Kim
• 이대영(농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 인삼특작부) | Dae Young Lee
• 서경혜(농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 인삼특작부) | Kyung Hye Seo
• 이승은(농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 인삼특작부) | Seung Eun Lee
• 최재훈(농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 인삼특작부) | Je Hun Choi
• 장귀영(농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 인삼특작부) | Gwi Yeong Jang